Wet Process vs. Dry Media for Case Cleaning

Reloading
1

Jim: First, thanks for the great tutorial videos on handloading. I am just starting out and found it very helpful. I noticed you use a wet process for cleaning your cases. Have you found it better than dry media? Are there pros and cons for each? Appreciate your thoughts.

2

I haven’t given dry tumbling a fair enough look to see if it can convert me, but the reasons I wet tumble are (1) cleaner primer pockets and (2) no dust.

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Shouldn’t get any dust if you’re using brass polish. I tried once with a fresh batch of corncob media but it didn’t clean.

4

I use the dry media with walnut and corn. My only problem with it is the dust. I will still use it because I bought a crap ton of the stuff a while ago. I have to go outside and stand upwind when I put it into my separator. Some day I may upgrade but it gets it cleaned and polished with the polishing compound for me. I should take some of my cases and compare it with someone who uses the wet tumbling process.

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5

Thanks, I’m just getting set up. Not sure I want to have to check the wind direction to separate my cleaned brass. I think I’ll go with the wet process.

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6

I currently do both, but not all the time. I dry tumble my really dirty brass and any range brass I get (mostly pistol stuff). Then I de-prime and wet tumble. The dry tumble gets the brass mostly clean and then doesn’t get my dies dirty. But I like my brass looking new when I reload it, so I wet tumble it too. It also cleans the primer pocket.
Dry tumbling is dusty, even when I’ve used polish. I just wear a mask when dumping it into my media separator. I also put old dryer sheets in the media which helps a lot with the dust and makes the media last longer.
If I only could choose one, I would wet tumble for sure!

7

Can you dry tumble with steel pins? I’ve always used walnut or corn because that’s what the old guy used. Never done a wet tumble. Never used a vibrating cleaner. If pins are better, I can switch, but drying wet cases seems like an extra step.

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I use my ultrasonic cleaner with vinegar/water/dawn for 15 minutes then rinse. Then i wet tumble with water, dawn, and Lemi shine with 1/2 jar of ss pins. Tumble for 1hr brass looks new, primer pockets clean.